"Legal advice" delays Australia's decision on Syrian air strikes: FM

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday the government has not yet responded to formal requests from Washington about conducting strikes in Syria, as it was still seeking "legal advice."

While the situation in the Middle East was becoming "diabolical, " Australia was still going through a process to determine how to proceed with the request, the foreign minister said.

"The situation in the Middle East is diabolical and it's having an impact across the globe," Bishop told the local radio Macquarie.

"The terrorist organization known as Daesh (or Islamic State) has territorial ambitions over not only Syria and Iraq, but also Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"It's a very volatile and challenging time."

Bishop said that Australia has not yet responded formally the formal request by the U.S. to take part in air strikes over Syria as "it is to be dealt with by our national security council."

The Australian government was waiting on legal advice, but would also contact Tehran before proceeding, she said, adding, "We also need to speak to the Iranians, who are heavily involved in both Iraq and Syria."

She said the U.S conducts air strikes in Syria because of a military term called "collective self-defense" which means the freedom and liberty of the Iraqi people is under threat by Islamic State (IS) combatants in Syria.

Australia, along with other European and coalition nations, currently conduct air missions in Iraq but not Syria. Bishop said this was at the request of the Iraqi government.

"We are already involved in air strikes over Iraq with the request and the consent of the Iraqi government.

"They would like to see the air strikes to also take place over Syria to prevent (Daesh) coming into Iraq."

Australia has previously said it would respond to the request as early as this week. Endi